These Will Have to Do

With an adventurous spirit as big as his curious heart, capturing a clear shot of this ball of wool and wonder is, it seems, an overly ambitious task. But loving him is not.

In fact, it was the very thing we did the moment we met the dapper lad. Found huddled beside a rubbish bin—why, we’ll never know—mercy flowed the moment one kind heart acted. And so began the tale of Black Wattle.

With two perfectly dipped hind legs—symmetrical little white socks—it’s as if someone dunked them in a tin of white paint, the tip of his black tail catching the glow. And perhaps in that same motion lies the reason for the snowy splash atop his fuzzy little head.

There is no doubt Black Wattle is cute to boot. And of this, he clearly knows.

From mischievous pronks around the vet room, staging little rebellions against bedtime—often enlisting the support of Juniper and Laurel—to his well-timed scoots in the opposite direction at lamby rollcall, every misstep is met not with frustration, but with laughter and love.

So yes, these photos will have to do—even though they are blurry.

But Black Wattle is not.
He is sharp. He is vibrant.
He is alive in the truest sense of the word.

And here’s what will not do: the outdated, unjust animal protection laws that still govern our land. Laws that measure worth by usefulness. Value by weight. And grant mercy not by the presence of a beating heart or curious soul, but by what humans can take from an animal.

Black Wattle reminds us, with every joyous leap, that life is life. Is life.

And that justice MUST do better.

So yes—enjoy the merriment of our dodgy photos today. But tomorrow, please join us in pushing for a kinder world.

One where all beings—blurry or not—are truly seen.

And protected.

Only then will that do.